Wheeled vehicle



y 1943- I B. A. SWE'NNES; 2,444,759

WHEELED VEHICLE Filed Nov. 15, 1943 V fiaverzzrw Berg cam in Q'JweIULeJ zwfga Patented July 6, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFEF LCE Benjamin .A. Swennes, Rockford, 111., iassi nor, by .mesne assignments, to the United States. of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy ApplicationNovember 15, 19.43,, Serial N 0. 510,296

.8 Claims. '1

My invention relates to a wheeled vehicle and more particularly ,tola vehicle :having a ,pair of articulated tracks on=opposite sides tor propelling the vehicle and having ..-a plurality of wheels .on each .side of the vehicle .disposedin tandem .and running on the tracks and yieldingly connected with the body of the vehicle Ifor supporting the vehicle withrespect to the tracks.

Such tracked vehicles have heretofore been used in whichall of .the wheels on each side of. one of the vehiclesteach supportedsubstantially equal proportions of'the weight of the vehicle. It was ioundihowever, with such a tracked vehicle cons'truc'tion that the vehicle when being run .tended to'ro'ck about intermediate supporting-wheels of 'thevehicle'withthe front and rear ends of the vehicle alternatively moving up and :down, and the contents of the vehicle werethus subjected to excessive shaking.

It is an objeotof 'my invention to provide a supporting "construction for a "tracked vehicle of this type which is such that such rockin effect about intermediate supporting wheels of the vehicleissuppressed. 'Tot'his end it isanobject-of 'my invention to providesuoh a vehicle in which end supporting wheels -on each-side or the vehicle take agreater proportion -of load than do "supporting-wheels intermediate the end wheels.

"Tracked vehicles-have heretofore been used in "which the supporting wheel-s -running on the tracks were each operatively connected with the body of the-"vehicle by means or a rubber torsion member, and it has been found with such a construction that the rubber torsion memb'ers aftera "period of use :became fatiguecl whereby the 'sup- :porting *wheels thereafter "failed t0 ho1d the body of the vehicle at the proper h'eight and failed to heep the tracks at the sides of the vehicle in their :proper looped configurations.

It is therefore an object of my invention to provide a torsionmember construction :for use in such a vel'iicle whichiisadjustable with'respect to the rbody of ffbhb vehicle whereby ,a torsion mem- 'ber imay the increasingly stressed .to [compensate for fatigue zin the :member. It :is :also ccontem- Tplated :that the torsion nnembersfor mach 10f :the supporting wheels :on :each .side of the, avehicle zmaydie lscf-ad'justable-zwhereby the endiwhc.els on each side-oi 717116 Vehiclermayibe adjusted 110 carry ;a greater mmportion of load than -wheels {intermediate the eend wheels .for :the 'EPuIZROSBS A. above described.

The invention consists of the motel constructions, arrangements and .-devices.to be, hereinafter .-describediand\claimediforcarrvings-outlthezahovepear from the ziollowingidescription oi'a certain preferred embodiment ill st t d. in the accompanyin drawin wherein:

"Fig. 1 is aside .e'levaticnal view of a-track dvehicle embodyin the principles of the invention; .Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on lines Ag -=2 .ofJEigs. 1 and 3,;and being on an enlar ed scale ably disposed on opposite sides thereof tracks H for propelling the vehicle '(one side only of the vehicle bein shown in the drawing). The track on each Side of the vchiclejhas aqlooped configuration and is held in such configuration *by means of wheels l'2 .and"lj.3, disposed respectively atlthe front .and rear ofv the vehicle and rotating on ,ifixeid axes with respect to body {P0, i-bogie wheels I14, (I5, 116;, :11, l8, l9 and?!) constituting supporting wheels tor the vehicle body ,IO, bogie wheels '21 and "22 at Lthefrontof the vehicle con- \stituting wheels for absorbing shock (11242.10 rough terrain, and tan idler ,W-h661f23. at the rear of the vehicle rotating on ,a fixed axis .Withrespect ,to the body vill. Itis contemplated that th gbody I30 shall preferably be water-tight such'that the vehicle may floatiand mayfiunction as aboa't, and that the tracks ill tsh iIllbevptovided with 'lugs '24 .of such shape that when the vehicle is .figatin .in the Water and the tracks I I are i-drivcl' ithe tracks will =DIQDfi1 the vehicle throu h the Water- When the vehicle is .cniland and the itrack'ser driven, the lugs v.2?! will of course en age th ground, and the tracks willpIqpBlthevehialeover land. ,It is further contemnlatedthht.theltrack H maybe driven b means of the wheels 12 on opposite ,sides of the vehicle which may Lhh Le sprocket teeth provided, .on their -pcrinhe ies J2 engage with the tracks and which may hedriven :by any suitahlesource .of motive power inside the vehicle body 111. The shape .of thelugs Z'Llthe type of motive power to be providedwand other details of the vehicle may'be suchhasare disclosed in my .cQpcndin applicatiom Serial .No. 1503304 filed vOctoher3'0, .1943.

fIfhebogie wheels M12020 on each side Qf the vehicle constitute sullmrting wheels :for .thevehide and each wheel islsimilarly \swinginglysand statedwbject and euchi'otherrobiects as will apioovield n ly .mounted with respect to the vehicle body l0. Referring to Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawing, the connection between the bogie wheel [5 and the vehicle body l0 comprises a metal cylinder 25 which is pivotally mounted with respect to the body [0 of the vehicle. The cylinder 25; has fixed thereto, at each of its ends, a member 26 of generally 'cylindrical form fitting in the cylinder and also a reaction arm 21 provided with an appropriate opening therein to fit about.

the cylinder. The vehicle body l0 comprises, on each side thereof, vertically extending wall pore.

over rough terrain the various vehicle supporting tions 28 and 29' between which the bogie wheels are disposed, and the wall portions have fixed thereto, in appropriate openings provided in the spot of ground. The yielding connections bewall portions, disc-like plates 39 and 3! respectively. Bolts 32 extend through appropriate cenbogie wheels will in general carry varying proportions of the load, with the torsion member 31 of a bogie wheel which is directly over a high spot of ground being more greatly stressed than ter openings provided in the plates 30 and 3i,

and the bolts are screwed into the members fixed to the cylinders 25. The cylinder 25, together with the reaction arms 21, the end. membars 26 for the cylinders and the bolts 32 may pivot with respect to the wall portions 28 and 29 and the plates 3!! and 3|, with the central openings-in the plates38 and 3i forming journals for the bolts 32, as is apparent.

' The reaction arms 21 are adjustably fixed with respect to the wall portions 28 and 29 of the vehicle body In for holding the inner cylinder 25 against movement and for adjusting the cyl-,

,inder pivotally with respect to the walls 28 and 29 as desired. Each of thewall portions 23 and 29 has fixed thereto a bracket 33 in which is disposed an adjusting screw 34 having a lock nut 35 thereon. The arms 21 are adapted to have abutting contact with the adjusting screws 3E, and

I the'screws function to limit the counterclockwise movement, as seen in Fig. 3; of the reaction arms.

An outer metal cylinder 36 is disposed about the cylinder 25, and a cylindrical member 3? of rubber is disposed between the cylinders 25 and 36. The member 31 is. fixed to each of the cylinders, as by vulcanizing, whereby the member .31 forms a yieldable torsion element operatively between the inner and outer metal cylinders. .Another metal cylinder .38 is disposed to fit closely about the cylinder 36. The cylinder 38 is split and is provided with flanges 3'9 and 40, and a metal key M is disposed between the flanges and extends into a split in the metal cylinder 36 for fixing the cylinders 38 and 33 together. Screws 42 extending through the flanges 3-9 and'lll and the key 4| are provided for holding the cylinder 38 tightly disposed over the cylinder 36 and for holding the key 4| in place.

ward the vehicle body it. For a more detailed disclo'sure'of the yielding connection between each of the'vehicle supporting wheels and the vehiclebody, the co-pending application .of Carl E. Swenson, Serial No. 513,430, filed December 8, 1943, now Patent No. 2,435,681, Feb. 2%, 1948,

may be referred to.

It will be apparent that the connections between the body it and the vehicle supporting bogie wheels M to 20 may be adjusted whereby the individual wheels carry the desired proportions of the load. If the adjusting screws 34 are turned so as to move the reaction arms 21 of thejtorsion'member of a bogie wheel over a lowsion members 3! have also the additional function ofproviding a shock absorber action to suppress continued oscillation or up and down move.

ment of the vehicle body after the vehicle has passed over rough ground. This function of the rubber torsion members is due to the internal friction in the rubber torsion members themselves.

I have found that superior riding andload carrying qualities in a vehicle of this type are obtained. if the torsion members 31 are adjusted such that various ones of the vehicle supporting bogie wheels carry greater loads than the other of the wheels when the vehicle is on a fiat horizontal surface, rather than with an adjustment'of the torsion members such that the vehicle supporting bogie wheels carry equal loads. For such improved performance, the torsion members 3'i-for the endvehicle supporting bogie wheels M,-I5, l9 and 20 on each side of the vehicle are adjustedsuch that these bogie wheels carry. more of the load than the bogie wheels 16, IT and H1 between the end bogie wheels. Withsuch an adjustment of load on the various vehicle supporting bogie wheels, a hobby horse effect, that is, oscillation of the vehicle about intermediate supporting bogie wheels or some axis extending horizontally and transversely of the vehicle, is suppressed. This hobby horse 'efiect is particularly pronounced if the vehicle supporting bogie wheels all carry substantially the same load as has been hereinbefore mentioned. In a certain embodiment of my invention, good results were obtained by adjusting the torsion members 37 such that the bogie wheels l4, l5, l3 and 20 on each side of the vehicle each carried 2600 to 2700 pounds and such that each of the intermediate bogie wheels 15,

wheels 2l' and 22 than is applied by the yielding connections for the vehicle supporting bogie wheels. The bogie wheels 2i and 22 on each side of the vehicle function, as is apparent, to cushion the vehicle when bumps or high spots of ground are encountered by the vehicle.

The yielding connections for the bogie wheels 2| may be similar to the connections for the vehicle supporting bogie wheels M to 20 with the 6. said ,i-Whe1-S.;and-; said body, said :yieldlnermeans roe-each of .a pain-of rend :wheel n f .theebo yrexerting :a reater fierce onritbe Wheel than :the vrfcrce exerted on :the -wheelsjntermediwheels 22 on opposite sidesof the vehicle are the .15 ate-.1 the-.end :wheels ,by their ryieldinssmcans :50

same." The yielding connection for the wheel 12 shown in Fig. 1 comprises an inner-zcylinderi lli which is fixed with respect to the wall portions .28 and 29; The cylinder 48 is-thus fixed iby'means of members M fitting in and fixed tothe cylinder 46 at its ends, plates 48' and' l9 extending through appropriate openings the wall portions 28and 29,-respectively, and fixed .to the wall portions, bolts 50 extending through appropriate central openings provided in the-plate members 4B- and 4;! and screwed into the end'rnembers M and set screws 5! extending through-theplates dfi and Q9 and into the end members 4 1. An cuter cylinder 52 is disposed over the-inner cylinder; and afpair of arms 53 is fixed to the outer cylinder, and thesefunc-tio-n to carry a wheel 22 fin-the same manner as a wheel =1 ii is carried *by arms -43. A spring 54 "is disposed in the chamber formed between the cyl-indersfl-B and 52 and is operatively connected betweenthe cylinders by-means of a ring 55 fixed with respect to the cylinder 52 and 'a ring 5-6 fixed with respect to the cylinder'flfi. Eachof the rings has a slot for receiving the adjacent end of the spring 54 for anchoring the spring. The yielding connections for the wheels 22 are such that the springs .function to move the associated wheels 22 outwardly away from the vehicle to provide tension in the respective tracks, and the springs yield when a bump or high spot is encountered by the vehicle. The springs 54 provide a considerably greater movement of the wheels 22 than do the rubber torsion members in the yielding connections for the other' bogie wheel-sand in a particular embodiment of ny-invention the springs bdprovided a swing of substantially lf00 for the-arms lb-and functioned satisfactorily to maintain tension in the trac'ks. It has been found that, after considerable periods of usage of rubber torsion members as in this vehicle, the rubber torsion members exhibit evidences of fatigue or permanent stretching, and they fail to support the vehicle at the same height as they were first adjusted to do. The adjustments provided for the yielding connections for the bogie wheels, however, advantageously allow the yielding connections to be readjusted to compensate for the fatigue and creep in the rubber torsion members. These adjustments for the yielding connections of the bogie wheels with the vehicle body furthermore allow an expeditious initial adjustment of the vehicle supporting bogie wheels whereby the end wheels l4, I5, l9 and take a greater portion of the load than the intermediate bogie wheels I5, I! and I8 therebetween for the purposes hereinbefore described. There is substantially no fatigue in the spring 54, and no adjustment has been found necessary for this spring.

I wish it to be understood that my invention is not to be limited to the specific constructions and arrangements shown and described, except only insofar as the claims may be so limited, as it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes may be made without departing from the principles of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a vehicle, the combination of a vehicle body, at least three supporting wheels for the vehicle disposed in tandem on each side of the body, and means yieldingly connecting each of that each of the-end :yvheels 5 supports re .e reater part of :the weight. of ttheg-body zthama 'HWhB1 rintermediaterthel-endtvheelsiwhenzthervehicleliseon a fiatsurtace .wherebynto suppress rocking ofithe vehicle on -intermediate whcels ithereof.

2. 'a ivehicle, the combination :of 2a tvehl-cle body, at least three supporting w-heelsv forrthe ave- :hicle disposed in tandem :on each aside-pf rthe body, means yieldingly {connecting reach "of said wheels and said body, [and adjusting :means :ifor said yielding ineansnsaid:yielding means being adjusted there-by sothat thewielding means-ifcr each ot :a painof end wheels on eachasideiof the body-exerts-a greater force on the wheel thanzthe torce exerted on the =wheels=intermediate -the -end wheels by *theiryielding means so that :each end wheel --supports a greater part :of the weight :of the body than -a wheel -intermcdiate the =end wheels when the vehicle is :on a flat surface whereby =to-suppress -rocki-ng o f the vehiole on intermediatewheels thereof.

33 In avehicle-the' -combination of -a-vehicle "body a pai-rof tracks on oppositesides of the body movable 'with respect to the "body -for-propelllng -the--vehicle, 'at least three wheels disposed-fin tandem on :each sidecf the body dorsupporting body with respect -to the tracks, and "means yieldingly connecting each -of said wheels and said'body, said-yielding means for-each of a p'air of end wheels-on each-side'of the body exerting agreater force -on the wheel than--the force *exerted on the Y wheels -intermediate the endwheels 'by their yielding :means so .that each of -f-the "end --wheels supports a, greater 'partcf the weight of the body than a wheel -intermediate-the end wheels when the vehicle is on :a ifiat --surface wherebyto suppress-rocking'of the'vehicle onlntermediatewheel-s thereof with respect to -the tracks.

4. In a Vehicle, the combination of a vehicle body, a pair of tracks on opposite sides of the body and movable with respect to th body for propelling the vehicle, a plurality of wheels disposed in tandem on each side of the body for supporting the body with respect to the tracks, said plurality of wheels on each side of the body comprising a, plurality of intermediate wheels and a plurality of end wheels both in front of and behind the intermediate wheels, means yieldingly connecting each of said wheels and said body, and adjusting means for said yielding means, said yielding means being so adjusted thereby that the yielding means for each of said end wheels exerts a greater force on the wheel than the force exerted on the wheels intermediate the end wheels by their yielding means so that each end wheel supports a greater part of the weight of the body than each of the intermediate wheels when the vehicle is on a flat surface whereby to suppress rocking of the vehicle on intermediate wheels thereof.

5. In a vehicle, the combination of a vehicle body. a pair of tracks movably disposed on opposite sides of the body for propelling the vehicle, at least three wheels disposed in tandem on each side of the body for supporting the body with respect to the tracks, said wheels each having a yielding swinging connection with said vehicle body, and adjusting means for said connections, said yielding swinging connections being adjusted thereby so that the connection for each of a pair of end wheels on each side of the body exerts a greater force on the wheel than the force exerted on the wheels'intermediate the end wheels by their yielding means so that each end wheel supports a greater part of the weight of the body than a wheel intermediate the end wheels when the vehicle is on a fiat surface whereby to suppress rocking of the vehicle on intermediate wheels thereof with respect to the tracks.

' 6. In a vehicle, the combination of a vehicle body, a pair of tracks movably disposed on opposite sides of the body for propelling the vehicle, a plurality of wheels disposed in tandem on each side of the body for supporting the body with respect to the tracks, said plurality of wheels on each ide of the body comprising a plurality of intermediate wheels and a plurality of end wheels both in front of and behind the intermediate wheels, said wheels each having a yielding swing- H ing connection with said vehicle body, and adjusting means for said connections, each of said conthe yieldable connection, the reaction arms of said connections for each of the end wheels on each side of the body exerts a greater force on the wheel than the force exerted on the wheels intermediate the end wheels by their yielding means so that each end wheel supports a greater part of the weight of the body than each of the intermediate wheels when the vehicle is on a fiat surfacewhereby to suppress rocking of the vehicle on intermediate wheels thereof.

7.- In a, vehicle, the combination of a vehicle body, a pair of tracks movably disposed on opposite sides of the body for propelling the vehicle, a plurality of wheels on each side of the body for supporting the body with respect to said tracks. and each having a yielding swingingv connection with said body, each of said connections comprising an inner cylinder pivoted with respect to said body, an outer cylinder, a member ofrub- 8. ber-like material between said cylinders and fixed to each of the cylinders, a pair of arms fixed to said outer cylinder for supporting a wheel, a, pair of reaction arms fixed to said inner cylinder, said member'of rubber-like material being subject to fatigue, and means fixing said reaction arms with respect to said body, said last named means being adjustable whereby the load on the various wheels and associated rubber-like members may be adjusted a desired, and whereby for compensating for fatigue in said members.

8. In a vehicle, the combination of a vehicle body, a supporting wheel for the body, and means providing a yielding swinging connection of said wheel with said vehicle body and including an outer cylinder and an inner cylinder, a member of rubber-like material between said cylinders and fixed to each of the cylinders, a pair of arm for supporting said wheel and fixed to said outer cylinder, a pair of reaction arms fixed to said inner cylinder at opposite ends thereof, said rubber-like member being subject to fatigue, and means for fixing said reaction arms with respect to said body, said last-named means being adjustable for increasing the force applied to said wheel by said rubber-like member for a certain position of the wheel with respect to said body for compensating for fatigu in the rubber-like member.

BENJAMIN A. SWENNES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

